Is it wise for your health/safety and pain/recovery point of view to have a tummy...

Q:

Is it wise for your health/safety and pain/recovery point of view to have a tummy tuck (with liposuction) and a breast lift with slight enhancement all in the same procedure? If this was done, how long would I have to wait before getting back to taking care of my two children, ages 7 and 11 years old. Also, how long before I can go back to driving?

A:

If you are a good surgical candidate (medically healthy, height and weight proportionate), then a mommy makeover procedure such as you describe is safe and makes sense. With any surgery, there are risks such as bleeding, infection, scar, blood clots, etc. For elective surgery such as this, I advise patients to choose procedural combinations that can be performed in six hours or less to reduce the chance of blood clots. From the standpoint of maximizing the results of your breast lift and augmentation (perky results with good scars), I'd recommend staging that combination of procedures, first performing the lift during the full makeover, and later performing the augmentation. The recovery period is dictated by the tummy tuck component. You should plan a "forced" vacation for 2 weeks where you have no responsibilities, after which you can safely plan to take care of your kids. Driving is OK somewhere between 10 to 14 days after surgery (you need to feel good enough to be able to make sudden turns or jam on the breaks without hesitation, and be off any prescription medications for 48 hours). Every surgeon has slight variations in their recommendations, so be sure to discuss these issues with your doctor.

A:

Yes, I routinely do these procedures together. Of course, it would depend on your overall general health. An experienced plastic surgeon will be able to perform these surgeries at a relatively fast pace, so I would encourage you to seek out a plastic surgeon in practice for awhile. In my practice I stress resting for a few weeks, driving in 2 weeks, and 5 weeks before returning to full activities.